Clay Doggett (born September 5, 1983) is an American businessman, law enforcement officer, and politician from the state of Tennessee. A Republican, Doggett has represented the 70th district of the Tennessee House of Representatives, based in Giles and Lawrence Counties, since 2019.[1][2]
Career
Prior to running for office, Doggett worked in law enforcement as a correctional officer and a sheriff's deputy; he also is the founder and owner of a pressure washing company.
In 2017, Doggett announced he would run against Barry Doss, representative for the 70th district of the Tennessee House of Representatives, in the 2018 Republican primary.[3] Running as a "grassroots conservative," Doggett narrowly ousted Doss 52-48% before winning the general election soundly over Democrat Jessica Yokley.[4]
In 2020, Doggett ran unopposed in both the Republican primary and the general election, winning the general with 22,568 votes.[2]
Doggett co-sponsored constitutional carry legislation during the 2021 session and was passed on April 12, 2021. He also sponsored the "Second Amendment Privacy and Protection Act of 2021", which prevents a state or local entity from creating a registry to track citizens who legally possess firearms in the state, and was passed on June 2, 2021. Both laws went into effect on July 1.[5]
On December 30, 2021, Doggett announced he would run for his second re-election bid in 2022.[5]
In 2023, Doggett supported a resolution to expel three Democratic lawmakers from the legislature for violating decorum rules. The expulsion was widely characterized as unprecedented.[6]
Current committees
As of December 2021, Doggett sits on the following committees:[1]
- Criminal Justice Subcommittee (Chair)
- Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee
- Criminal Justice Committee
- Health and Safety Committee of the Second Extraordinary Session
- Elections Committee of the Third Extraordinary Session
Electoral record
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Clay Doggett | 5,362 | 51.5% | |
| Republican | Barry Doss | 5,057 | 48.5% | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Clay Doggett | 15,503 | 76.2% | |
| Democratic | Jessica Yokley | 4,363 | 21.5% | |
| Independent | Roy Waldrop | 471 | 2.3% | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Clay Doggett | 7,001 | 100.0% | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Clay Doggett | 22,568 | 100.0% | |
Personal life
Doggett lives in Pulaski with his wife, Mary, and their 3 children.[7]
References
- ^ a b "Representative Clay Doggett". Tennessee General Assembly. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f "Clay Doggett". Ballotpedia. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
- ^ Tom Humphrey (November 14, 2017). "Doss gets a challenger in House District 70 GOP primary". Tennessee Journal: On the Hill. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
- ^ Mike Christen (August 3, 2018). "Doggett wins Republican nomination, ousts Doss for 70th House District". Columbia Daily Herald. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
- ^ a b "State Rep. Clay Doggett to seek re-election in 2022". CitizenTribune.com. December 30, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ Andone, Dakin; Young, Ryan; Simonson, Amy; Almasy, Steve. "Tennessee's Republican-led House expels 2 Democratic lawmakers over gun reform protest, fails in bid to oust a third". CNN. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
- ^ "Clay Doggett's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved July 28, 2020.